


I Wanna Hold Your Hand

by Darkangel4066



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Corgi Puppies, Dogs, F/M, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, Meet-Cute, Puppies, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26216362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkangel4066/pseuds/Darkangel4066
Summary: Ben has puppies from the Animal Shelter. Rey needs a new friend.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 16
Kudos: 23
Collections: PL LOVE FEST for MyJediLife





	I Wanna Hold Your Hand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MyJediLife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyJediLife/gifts).



> A big thank you to [LadyRhi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRhi/pseuds/LadyRhi) for the beta, 
> 
> And a big thank you to you, [MyJediLife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyJediLife/pseuds/MyJediLife) for all you do. 
> 
> Thank you also to [GreyForceUser(ReyandKyloforever)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReyandKyloforever/pseuds/GreyForceUser) who made the adorable moodboard.

“Um, sorry. That one’s not up for adoption,” someone said from behind her, deep voice apologetic. 

Rey froze, her arms around the puppy she had just picked out of the litter. Belatedly, she noticed that the little charmer was wearing a collar, marking it as unavailable. It figured - he was the cutest of the bunch. 

The owner of the deep voice trotted over to her as she turned, recognizing the gentleman who was putting the puppies up for adoption. The ad in the paper had said he’d adopted the mother from the shelter along with the puppies, and now wanted to find them good homes. 

“I apologize,” the man told her, raising an eyebrow at the wiggling pup. “This little rascal has figured out how to escape from his room.” 

“Oh! No, it’s alright. He’s adorable! You’re keeping him then?” She handed the puppy over to him, a little reluctantly. 

“Yes, I’ve taken a liking to this little guy. He’s got spirit.” The dark-haired man smiled down at her and - oh, it hit her. His long face, prominent nose, full, plush lips - features that somehow worked so well with each other, though they shouldn’t.  _ He’s handsome.  _

“Yes, I noticed that too,” she said, a little stunned. 

At that moment, she felt a tug on her sock. Glancing down, she noticed that another of the pups had untied her shoe and was trying to get at her stocking. Grinning, she reached down and picked up the little dog. “How about this one?” She asked with a smile. “She’s got spirit, too.” 

“Ahhh, yes! She’s mischievous, though. Are you sure you can handle her?” The man watched her intently, and it struck her how much he cared about the animals. 

“I’m tougher than I look.” She cradled the pup in her left arm and offered her right hand. “I’m Rey.”

“Ben,” he laughed, taking her hand. “I can see you’ve got as much spirit as she does. It’s meant to be.” 

Rey beamed. He was asking only $40 for the puppy and had provided a starter kit that included some food and treats. She was already prepared, of course. She had food dishes, piddle pads for housebreaking, a crate to start her in - all of the things she would need to be successful with a new puppy. 

This was not her first dog, after all. Einstein, her last dog, had passed away peacefully of old age the previous fall, and she had missed him terribly though the winter. Now that it was spring, she had convinced herself that she was finally ready for another companion. 

Rey glanced lovingly at the little Corgi puppy in her arms. 

“She’s twelve weeks old, and I’ve already started her training,” Ben informed her. “She’s mostly housebroken already, so you won’t have to worry too much about that. Just be mindful that she’ll need to go out more often - little bladder, you know? Ummm…she also knows a couple of basic commands: sit, come, things like that. I thought it would be easier on the new owners if some of the basics were out of the way. All she needs is to be spayed and given a nice name.” 

“I know!” Rey chirped. “How about Katie?” 

The puppy barked, as though giving her opinion on the matter. 

“Well, she likes that one,” Ben chuckled. “Do you live very far?” 

“No, just the next street over. I’ll have a vet appointment for her by Monday,” Rey answered happily, tugging her wallet out a little awkwardly while juggling Katie one-handed. 

“Wow, you live so close. Maybe we could set up playdates? For the puppies, I mean.” He ran a hand through his hair and chuckled nervously, tucking her money into his pocket without bothering to count it. 

Rey suddenly felt shy, mind focusing once more on how she had to crane her neck to meet those dark chocolate eyes. “I’d like that. I- I mean, I’m sure  _ Katie _ would like that.” She blushed and looked away. 

“Okay. What is the best day for you?” Ben ventured. 

“Saturday?” Rey blurted, a little too quickly. _ Great, now she sounded too eager. _

“Saturday is good. I’ll see you at the dog park?” He sounded the tiniest bit uncertain, as though she might’ve changed her mind in the last ten seconds or so. 

“One o’clock.” She gave him her brightest smile as she turned away, carrying the puppy to her car and the waiting carrier. 

*

“One o’clock,” Ben called after her in agreement, dazed as he watched her walk away. 

The rest of his appointments with prospective owners for the puppies went without a hitch, and by the end of the day, the remaining puppies were matched to new homes. 

Closing the door after the last of his visitors, Ben smiled to himself. He was looking forward to Saturday. 

  
  


*

  
  


The playdate seemed to take forever to arrive - probably because Ben was so eager for it.

He checked his watch anxiously for the umpteenth time. He didn’t want to be too early, but he didn’t want to be late either. 

Ben grabbed the leashes for Lady and the puppy he’d decided to keep, who he’d named Chewie. Snapping them in place, he led the dogs to his SUV so he could get them into their crates for the ride to the dog park. 

The trip wasn’t a long one by vehicle but it was too far to walk the two Corgis with their short legs, especially Chewie, who could barely keep up with Lady. The dog park was a large fenced-in area with an agility course and plenty of room to run amongst the trees. It was divided into two sections, one for large dogs and one for smaller dogs. Ben chose the area for smaller dogs and opened the gate, stepping inside to wait for Rey. 

Once they were safely inside, he was greeted by other dog owners as he leaned down to free his dogs from the leashes. Lady took off running, Chewie scurrying after her to explore his new surroundings. 

Rey arrived a moment later with Katie and, closing the gate, came to stand beside Ben. She unsnapped the leash from Katie’s collar, and the puppy bounded joyfully, ears flopping, toward the other dogs. 

“Hey,” she greeted him when she was convinced that Katie would be ok. 

“Hey,” Ben paused a little awkwardly. “Is everything going well with her?” He gestured vaguely to the two puppies who were now chewing on each other’s ears. 

“Yeah, she’s really settled in,” Rey answered with a smile, making him swallow.

“You have Katie’s vaccine records with you?” he asked solicitously. Ben wanted her to be ready in case the park service or another owner asked. 

“I do. I checked the rules online before I came,” Rey assured him breathlessly. 

Ben smiled at her and casually moved toward her. She smelled of cherries and vanilla, and he was drawn to it. He recalled that she had worn the same pleasant scent at his house the other day. 

“Is she learning her name all right?” Ben asked quietly. He was concerned that she might be having trouble with Katie even though he had taken care not to give the puppies names that might confuse them when they went to their new homes. 

Rey was staring at him out of the corner of her eye, and Ben bit back a smile; he’d take bets that she hadn’t even heard his question. “So,  _ is  _ Katie learning her name?” He grinned as Rey jumped and blushed. 

“Y-yes. Katie is doing really well. She’s already almost house trained. You did a good job with her, but it must have been difficult. How did you manage it?” 

“My mother raises Corgis. I only did the same things she does,” he said humbly. 

His mother often took her Corgis to dog shows and agility competitions. She rarely bred her dogs, and, when she did, she never gave the puppies names unless she was going to keep them. Leia also took great care to begin training them and to socialize them as early as possible, as Ben had so that they would be truly ready to go to their new homes. 

Lady had come from the shelter with her newborn puppies. Ben had initially intended to foster the dogs, but had fallen in love with the little sweetheart and decided to adopt her right away. The shelter had deferred to his expertise when it came to the puppies, and all of the fees he had collected had gone right back to the animal shelter. 

“Oh, who is your mother?” Rey asked curiously. 

“Leia Organa-Solo.” 

“Oh! I checked into getting a puppy from her, but there’s a really long waiting list, and I saw that you had puppies on the shelter site. I looked at the other shelter dogs, but there weren’t many - which is good - but the ones they had were too big for me. Also, I really wanted a Corgi - I researched and everything to make sure it would be a good fit,” she said in a rush, chewing her bottom lip fretfully. 

Ben nodded, impressed. She’d done her homework. His mother would like Rey. “What are you doing later?” He knew he shouldn’t have asked as soon as he said it, but it was too late to take back. So much for trying to test the waters first. 

“Ben? Are you asking me out?” Rey was hiding a smile behind her hand - or trying to anyway. 

“Maybe?” he knew he didn’t sound sure, which just made him feel more nervous. He was really screwing this up. She was definitely going to back away and leave him, and he couldn’t blame her.

Then Rey took a half-step closer and he looked up to meet her pretty hazel eyes in surprise.

“Because, if you were, I would say that I’m entirely free this evening.” She stopped trying to hide her smile when he began to open and close his mouth like a fish out of water, gaping. 

Finally gathering his wits, Ben returned her smile. “May I pick you up at seven?” 

“You may,” Rey replied, eyes sparkling. “I live on Grandview - number 654.” 

Taking a look behind him at the dogs and, seeing that the pups were fatigued, he called Chewie and Lady over. Rey did the same with Katie. 

Ben glanced at her face as she attempted to leash her wiggling puppy, nose scrunched up with the effort - she eventually gave up and lifted the pup into her arms, instead. 

_ She is adorable when she scrunches her nose, _ he thought. 

When she met his gaze, he felt a jolt go through him - something like lightning, and he wondered if she had felt it too. 

She smiled secretively at him. “Bye. See you later,” she said, turning and leaving through the gate, which he carefully opened for her. 

Oh, he was looking forward to tonight.

*

Rey spent the rest the day preparing for her date and watching Katie sleep off the morning’s exertions, tiny paws twitching as she chased happily through her dreams. 

She knew that it wasn’t wise to leave the pup to her own devices, so she let Katie out into the yard to run for a little bit before Ben arrived. The puppy’s energy level hadn’t ceased to amaze Rey in the few days since she’d brought her home. 

At around ten ‘til seven, Rey called Katie back inside and tucked her into her crate where her bed was so that she - and the house - would be safe until her return. The puppy was used to sleeping in her kennel now and settled immediately, contentedly chewing on her favorite toy. 

Ben knocked a few minutes later, and Rey paused in front of the mirror on her hall tree to check her makeup. She had gone with subtle, neutral tones that brought out her hazel eyes.

She glanced over at Katie quickly to check her one last time and found her sound asleep. Nodding to herself, Rey grabbed her purse and opened the door. 

*

Ben shuffled his feet nervously as he waited outside her door. Had she forgotten? He turned around on the porch to glance up and down the street, taking in the well-tended lawns and gardens stretching in front of each house. 

When she didn’t come to the door after a few moments, he began to worry. She didn’t seem like the type of person to simply forget. As he started to turn to knock again, the door suddenly opened, and their eyes met. 

His heart skipped a beat when he saw her. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen - her honey eyes lined in kohl. Her freckles showed a little through her makeup, and her cheeks flushed under his gaze. 

“Hello,” Ben managed breathlessly, slightly stunned. 

“Hi,” Rey answered shyly, watching him from beneath her lashes. 

They stood for a moment, staring silently at each other until Rey cleared her throat. 

Another of those jolts went through Ben’s body again, and he remembered why he was there in the first place. Offering Rey an arm, she took it, and he led her to his car. 

Ben closed the car door behind her and walked around to the driver’s side. Drawing a deep breath, he got into the car. 

“I made reservations for Italian,” He said, attempting to fill the silence. “Are you cool enough?” 

He reached for the A/C controls at the same time Rey extended her hand, their fingers lightly brushing. 

“I’m fine,” she said, allowing her hand to rest on his. 

Ben felt a frisson of electricity trip over his skin at her touch, followed by warmth as she chose not to move her hand away. He momentarily lost the ability to think, his mind going blank for a solid minute.

Meeting her gaze, he lost himself in her eyes for another moment before managing to remember he was supposed to be taking her to dinner and reluctantly turned the key in the ignition. 

*

Rey hadn’t laughed so much in a long while. _ Ben tells the best stories! _

“...And then my favorite dog, Chewie, peed on my Dad’s leather coat…” Ben was saying, leaning toward her to be heard above the din surrounding them. 

“He did not!” Rey laughed in shock. 

“He did. The puppy I chose is named after him.” Ben sighed, then grinned. “He was a good dog.” 

“What did your father do?” Rey asked, her face aching from her laughter. 

“Oh, Dad just grumbled about it. He loved Chewie as much as I did,” he said, waving his hand vaguely. 

“Cute. I have to admit, I envy you - your family. I was bounced through the foster care system until I was placed with Maz Kanata. I was sixteen already and very distrustful, but she helped me out. I believe I’ve been successful because of her.” Rey stared down into her glass of wine, brow furrowed in thought. 

Ben reached across the table, brushing his fingertips along the back of her hand. “She sounds wonderful,” he said softly, smiling at her. Rey melted. 

“She is,” she whispered, entranced as Ben began to lean toward her. 

She must have canted her body toward him as well because his lips brushed gently against hers across the table. Heart pounding, she leaned into him, pressing her lips more fully to his. 

A throat cleared, and Rey jumped back guiltily. 

“Benjamin, who might this be?” Luke Skywalker eyed his now nervous nephew with a knowing grin. 

“Oh, Uncle Luke,” Ben said unenthusiastically. “It’s you.”

“It’s okay, Rey. This is my Uncle Luke. Uncle Luke, this is my - I mean, this is Rey,” Ben stammered, more than a little irritated and unsettled. It was the same feeling he’d had when he was a teenager caught at something he wasn’t supposed to be doing. 

Rey glanced between the two men, confused. 

  
“I’m sorry for interrupting,” Luke apologized, eyes alight with his mirth. 

“You’re awfully cheerful for feeling sorry,” Ben muttered under his breath resentfully. 

Rey offered her hand to Luke. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

Smiling, Luke took her hand. “The pleasure is mine. I rarely get to meet Ben’s girlfriends.” 

A blush rose up Rey’s neck at the word ‘girlfriend,’ and she glanced at Ben shyly. 

Ben smiled at her encouragingly. 

Heart racing, Rey barely noticed when Luke excused himself, grinning as he sauntered over to another table, satisfied with a job well done. 

*

“Did you talk to her? What’s she like?” Leia huffed impatiently. Her son rarely told her about the women he dated, and this one was  _ definitely  _ different from the looks of things. 

Luke held up his hand in a placating gesture as he resumed his seat. 

“Don’t you think it would be better to just ask Ben about her yourself?” Luke said, amused. 

“That would be too easy,” Han chuckled. “Leia, let the boy tell us himself.” 

“I will say that she’s a very polite young lady,” Luke grinned. “I like her, but I think this might be the first date, so don’t bring it up until he does.” 

“He’s mentioned her,” Leia mused. “He said she adopted one of the puppies, and I checked my schedule. She canceled her spot on the waiting list a few weeks ago.” 

“She passed your screening?” Han asked, interested. 

“She did,” Leia confirmed gravely. “I can’t wait to meet her,” she said, taking one last peek around the corner with her compact mirror. 

Her son was helping Rey out of her seat, and seeing the way he looked at her Leia couldn’t contain her smile. 

*

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Ben started when they reached his Buick Enclave. “My uncle can be a little intrusive at times.” 

“It’s alright. I enjoyed meeting him - don’t be sorry. I’m not,” she smiled sweetly, standing up on her tip-toes to kiss him again. 

Ben drew a breath in shock, but managed to get enough of a grip to return the kiss. 

Separating slightly, Rey slipped her arms around Ben’s waist, resting her head against his chest. 

“I should take you home,” he said huskily. “Katie will be waiting for you.” 

“Yes, she probably is,” she replied in a low voice, letting him go. 

Ben opened the car door, and Rey slipped into the passenger seat. 

As he drove her home, Rey noticed that he kept stealing glances at her. She was amazed at how  _ right  _ this felt - being with him. Lifting her hand from her lap, she placed it on his knee, fingers stroking lightly. 

Ben shifted in his seat and pulled into her driveway a little haphazardly. 

Rey sat for a moment while Ben got out and hurried around the vehicle to open her door for her. He’d been a perfect gentleman all night. 

Looping her arm through his, she allowed him to escort her to her front door. She fished her keys out of her purse and met his eyes, smiling softly. 

“Thank you for tonight,” she murmured. 

Ben bent down, kissing her tenderly. “That’s my line,” he teased. 

Rey, laughing softly, turned to unlock the door. “See you soon?” 

“Yeah, soon,” he promised as she slipped through the door. 

*

“Where’s Ben?” Leia was panicking. Her son was going to be late for his own wedding. 

“Calm down,” Rey said serenely. “He’ll be here. Luke and Han aren’t here yet either.” 

Leia’s eyes filled with tears. “You have such faith in him. How can you be so calm? I was a nervous wreck when I got married.” 

“I- I just know he’ll be here. He’s probably just trying to round up the dogs,” she said, keeping her voice light. 

“What if he’s lost the rings,” Leia fretted. 

“He hasn’t. Hux has them. Everything’s fine,” Rey soothed. “Shouldn’t  _ I _ be the one worrying?” 

“No, of course not,” Leia quickly cut her off. 

A gravelly chuckle came from the corner. “My girl was always cool as a cucumber in a pinch. Makes her a good nurse,” Maz interjected from the corner. 

“Ahhh, the groom has arrived. Looks smart in that tux too,” Maz observed with amusement as she peeked through the doorway.

Leia relaxed, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. 

Rey just smiled happily. It was almost time. 

Standing, she smoothed her dress, and Rose handed her the bouquet. Maz and Leia excused themselves to take their places. 

Rey floated through the corridors to the back door where the aisle began. She couldn’t wait to take Ben’s hand. Luke was waiting for her, and he drew a sharp breath when he saw her. 

“You look beautiful, kiddo,” he said. “Knock ‘em dead.” He turned and strode from the house, nodding to the wedding quartet. 

The music began to play. 

Rey waited while her friend preceded her down the aisle. Drawing a deep breath, she stepped out from behind the gossamer curtains...and saw only Ben. 

  
  



End file.
